A Vancouver, Wash., company is suing three federal agencies claiming they were negligent in approving allegedly faulty Columbia River Crossing environmental work.

Thompson Metal Fab’s executives said in a release Monday afternoon that the company had warned three groups — the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Department of Transportation — that the proposed new CRC’s design needed to allow for more than 95 feet of clearance. The agencies finalized an environmental impact statement that calls for a fixed design that topped out at 95 feet.

Thompson ships such goods as oil rigs, bridge sections, mining equipment and dam and power plant components along the Columbia River.

The states of Oregon and Washington are attempting to build a new Interstate 5 bridge that links the two states across the Columbia River.

Thompson officials said in a release the company ships an estimated $75.9 million worth of metal structural products yearly. It employs more than 250 people — with a $16 million payroll and supports another 215 workers at other Clark County businesses.

“The EIS did not consider these economic impacts, nor did it meaningfully account for the impacts that the Interstate 5 bridge will have on important socioeconomic and environmental issues related to navigation,” the company wrote in a release explaining the suit.

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